St. John Chrysostom Archives - Page 7 of 8

WHEN YOU FAST: A REFLECTION ON GREAT LENT (Part I)

03/23/2015

By George Parsenios PhD What appears to happen in the Passion of Christ and what actually happens are not at all the same. What appears to happen is not that extraordinary. The Romans crucified a Jewish man in order to keep public order. During their long rule over Judea, the Romans had killed many Jews, making the death of Jesus one among these many. But, only in appearance. The reality was very different. The Paschal

THE MEANING OF THE GREAT FAST (Part III)

03/11/2015

By Mother Mary and Bishop Kallistos Ware If it is important not to overlook the physical requirements of fasting, it is even more important not to overlook its inward significance. Fasting is not a mere matter of diet. It is moral as well as physical. True fasting is to be converted in heart and will; it is to return to God, to come home like the Prodigal to our Father’s house. In the words of

CLEAN WEEK AND THE FIFTH THURSDAY OF LENT

02/25/2015

The end is at hand, my soul, is at hand! But you neither care nor prepare. The time is growing short. Arise! The Judge is at the door! Like a dream, like a flower, the time of this life passes. Why do we bustle about in vain? (Fourth ode of the Canon of St. Andrew) AS WE SAW IN CHAPTER TWO, the central theme of Lent is repentance. This theme is at the heart of

Five Powerful Sayings of the Fathers

01/08/2015

By Seraphim Danckaert Meaningful spiritual guidance is not always easy to find, especially nowadays. St. Paul reminds us: “For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers,” (1 Corinthians 4:15). Yet, within the Church, God has called forth true spiritual fathers in all epochs and places. These fathers, like St. Paul before them, beget us anew through the Gospel, and call us to salvation in Christ Jesus.

Sanctify the Waters

01/06/2015

By Father John Breck On January 6, Christians of Western tradition (Roman Catholics and Protestants) commemorate the Epiphany or manifestation of the newborn Christ to the Magi. To Orthodox Christians, this day celebrates the Theophany or revelation of the Holy Trinity, not at Christ’s birth, but at his baptism in the Jordan River. It marks a significant interruption in the sequence of Scripture passages read at this time of year, by inserting the baptismal scene

The Sixth Day of Christmas: The Star of Bethlehem

12/30/2014

Balaam laid before us precisely the meaning of the words he spoke in prophecy, when he said that a star would dawn, a star that quenches all prophecies and auguries; a star which resolves the parables of the wise, and their sayings and their riddles, a star far more brilliant than the star which, has appeared, for He is the Maker of all the stars, of whom it was written of old: “From Jacob there

The Thirty-Third Day of Christmas Advent: The Angel of the Lord and the Mountain of God (Part IV)

12/17/2014

Receive, O manger; Him whom Moses the Law-giver foresaw in the bush on Horeb, now born of the Virgin through the divine Spirit. (Vespers of the Forefeast, December 20, Theotokion of the Lity) It is this astonishing paradox that the Orthodox Church repeatedly con1pels us to contemplate, a paradox that was beautifully expressed by St. John Chrysostom: What shall I say! And how shall I describe this Birth to you? For this wonder fills me

Nineteenth Day of Christmas Advent: Search the Scriptures (The Katavasias, Part III)

12/03/2014

Rod of the Root of Jesse The fourth ode of the katavasias refers to one of the great prophecies predicting the coming of the Messiah: There shall come forth a rod from the root of Jesse, and a Bower shall grow out of his root. The Spirit of God shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and godliness. (Is. 11:1-2) Jesse was

Malicious Gossip and Passing Judgment

10/24/2014

Let us begin by trying to understand the nature of malicious gossip and passing judgment on others. “Malicious gossip is to talk about your neighbor’s sins and mistakes, for example, to say that someone lied or became angry or committed fornication … Saying any of this is denigration, that is to say, speaking maliciously against somebody, talking maliciously about his sin. Passing judgment is when you condemn the actual person, saying he is a liar,

The Holy and Glorious Apostle Thomas the “Twin”

10/06/2014

The Holy and Glorious Apostle Thomas was born in the Galilean city of Pansada and was a fisherman. Hearing the good tidings of Jesus Christ, he left all and followed after Him. The Apostle Thomas is included in the number of the holy Twelve Apostles of the Savior. According to Holy Scripture, the holy Apostle Thomas did not believe the reports of the other disciples about the Resurrection of Jesus Christ: “Unless I see in

Archive

WHEN YOU FAST: A REFLECTION ON GREAT LENT (Part I)

THE MEANING OF THE GREAT FAST (Part III)

CLEAN WEEK AND THE FIFTH THURSDAY OF LENT

Five Powerful Sayings of the Fathers

Sanctify the Waters

The Sixth Day of Christmas: The Star of Bethlehem

The Thirty-Third Day of Christmas Advent: The Angel of the Lord and the Mountain of God (Part IV)

Nineteenth Day of Christmas Advent: Search the Scriptures (The Katavasias, Part III)

Malicious Gossip and Passing Judgment

The Holy and Glorious Apostle Thomas the “Twin”

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